


Family

by Bluespirit



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, Future Fic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-26
Updated: 2010-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-06 21:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/740352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluespirit/pseuds/Bluespirit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An accident changes Rodney's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. The characters and universe are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions and the Sci-Fi Channel. This fic is meant solely for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> Notes:  
> 1\. Thank you to [](http://xanthe.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://xanthe.livejournal.com/)**xanthe** for beta duties!  
>  2\. This is something that I wrote for a writing weekend last year & found again when I was doing a little house-keeping with my files. The challenge was to take the first line from a novel & use it as the first line of the story. It was a really interesting experiment & I thought I'd share the results. *g*
> 
>  _There were crimson roses on the bench; they looked like splashes of blood._  
>  Opening line taken from ‘Strong Poison’ by Dorothy L. Sayers

There were crimson roses on the bench; they looked like splashes of blood. Rodney swallowed at the sudden taste of bile stinging his throat and turned away, stumbling in his hurry.

“Rodney?” John’s voice was quiet and his hand steady at Rodney’s elbow. “You okay?”

Rodney tried to smile. “I’m fine. It’s nothing.” He saw John’s gaze sweeping the room and knew exactly when he made the connection.

John’s hand squeezed lightly. “Why don’t we go and get some air?”

Rodney felt shaky and knew that he’d probably lost what little colour he had, his still-healing scars no doubt raw against his pallor. “That sounds good.”

John slipped an arm around his shoulders, and he leaned gratefully into the warmth as they moved slowly towards the door, the bustle and hubbub fading behind them.

The rain that had been lashing down earlier had stopped, and they walked to a small park where the air was sharp with the scent of life and living things. They sat down, and Rodney couldn’t hide a wince as his bad leg spasmed for an excruciating few seconds.

“Easy.” John dropped a hand to the spot above Rodney’s knee that always ached the worst, and he rubbed gently. His hand was big and warm, and the heat bled through the fabric of Rodney’s suit pants and soothed the pain to a dull throb.

“Thanks,” Rodney sighed. He closed his hand over the top of John’s and linked their fingers together.

They sat like that for a while, the park a secluded oasis around them, and Rodney breathed in the quiet and began to relax. Warm sunlight filtered through the leaves above them, and gradually he felt his mind drift.

It had been so hard since the accident, and sometimes he questioned why he was still here - why he’d been the only one who’d survived. There had been times, early on, when he’d wished that things had been different. He’d wished that it had been Jeannie and Caleb who’d been saved, and that he’d been the one lying dead in the wreckage, vivid splashes of blood painting his open, sightless eyes.

He’d only said that out loud once though - and he never wanted to see that kind of pain in John’s eyes again. John hadn’t said anything, of course, but later that night he’d wrapped himself around Rodney like he never meant to let go, and Rodney had felt the soundless tears shuddering through him. So he hadn’t said it again, and as time had gone on he’d realised that it wasn’t his choice to make. It had been dumb luck that they had been sitting at that intersection when that stupid drunk-driver had ignored the light - and it had been dumb luck that he’d made it out and his sister hadn’t.

A bird cried out overhead, and Rodney jerked and opened his eyes. John was smiling at him, his expression warm with a familiar mix of love and gratitude.

“Hey, sleepyhead.”

“I wasn’t asleep,” Rodney huffed but only to see John’s smile turn a little teasing; a reminder of easier times.

“Of course not,” John agreed solemnly, but a hint of a grin curled irresistibly at his lips, and Rodney had to smile too. They were putting the pieces back together, a little at a time.

John checked his watch. “We should probably be heading back - final session starts soon.” He stood and helped Rodney up, and they headed towards the courthouse.

Rodney slipped his hand into John’s as they walked, and John nodded, hearing what Rodney didn’t need to say.

“Everything’s going to be okay. You know what the lawyer said - this is practically a formality. Courts want kids to stay with their families, and you’re Madison’s family.”

“We are,” Rodney said, squeezing John’s hand. “We’re her family.”

John smiled and squeezed back. “Yeah, we are.”

They’d reached the steps of the courthouse, and Rodney stopped.

John turned, a questioning look on his face, and Rodney kissed him, just a quick brush of lips. “Thank you. I know I don’t say it enough but… I don’t know if I could have made it this far without you and…”

“Yeah, you would have, buddy,” John nodded, and his eyes said the rest.

Rodney felt his chest tighten. “But I’m glad I didn’t have to, and that I have you…”

“Me too.”

John’s smile was gentle but it made his whole face shine, and suddenly Rodney realised how lucky he was to still be here to see that smile every day. He squared his shoulders. “Okay, let’s go and get Maddie.”

They walked inside together. It was nearly over, and then they could get on with the rest of their lives.

 

The end

 

**Author's Note:**

> Additional note:  
> Anyone familiar with my 2009 SGA Big Bang story, ['Solitary man'](http://archiveofourown.org/works/119799), may recognise a little bit of plot detail that I decided to expand on for Rodney's backstory. *g*


End file.
